France and the EU

Latest business news about France and the European Union.

EU urges governments to tighten breast implant controls — 09 February 2012, 22:27 CET

The European Commission urged governments on Thursday to tighten controls of medical devices after faulty French-made breast implants sparked a global health scare.

France signals nine eurozone states ready to trigger FTT — 08 February 2012, 14:43 CET

French Finance Minister Francois Baroin signalled Tuesday that nine eurozone governments are ready to press ahead with the introduction of a Paris-inspired financial transactions tax.

Euro Disney reports that sales edge up — 07 February 2012, 13:30 CET

Euro Disney, which operates a giant Disney resort near the French capital, said on Tuesday its first-quarter sales rose 1.1 per cent despite difficult conditions as it attracted more visitors.

Lagardere unveils EUR 900m write-down — 07 February 2012, 12:22 CET

French media group Lagardere said on Tuesday it would cut the value of its assets by about 900 million euros ($1.18 billion) to account for the poor performance of sports and pay TV operations.

Talks on Greek debt 'difficult' but moving forward: France — 05 February 2012, 14:52 CET

Talks on unlocking a new eurozone rescue deal for Greece are proving "difficult" but progress is being made, French Finance Minister Francois Baroin said on Sunday.

French, German cabinets to meet Monday on crisis — 03 February 2012, 18:29 CET

President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel will preside over a joint Franco-German cabinet session Monday to focus on the eurozone economic crisis, Sarkozy's office said.

France faces EUR 79bn charge for nuclear power — 31 January 2012, 23:05 CET

Dismantling France's nuclear reactors and storing their radioactive waste will eventually cost around 79 billion euros, the national audit office said on Tuesday.

French officials warn Hollande against questioning EU treaty — 31 January 2012, 23:05 CET

French officials on Tuesday warned Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande against renegotiating a treaty aimed at resolving the eurozone debt crisis.

French banks would come to Britain to avoid tax: Cameron — 31 January 2012, 10:13 CET

British Prime Minister David Cameron took a fresh dig at cross-channel rival France Monday, warning that French banks would flee to Britain if Paris introduces a financial transactions tax.

Placing Greece under wardenship 'not democratic': Sarkozy — 30 January 2012, 23:23 CET

French President Nicolas Sarkozy rejected on Monday a German proposal to place Greece under the supervision of a special EU budget tsar, saying it would be undemocratic.

'High hopes' of Greece banks deal in coming days: Sarkozy — 30 January 2012, 23:23 CET

French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed hope on Monday that a deal would soon be struck between Greece and private investors on reducing the crisis-hit country's debt mountain.

Sarkozy announces 0.1 per cent transaction tax from August — 30 January 2012, 13:47 CET

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday announced plans to introduce a 0.1 per cent tax on financial transactions to come into effect from August this year in France.

EU experts rebuke Hungary, France, Italy over media rules — 25 January 2012, 21:07 CET

A high-level panel of experts reviewing the state of press freedom in Europe voiced concerns Wednesday over Hungary's controversial media laws, but also took Italy and France to task.

Europe leaders urge immediate end to Iran nuclear activities — 23 January 2012, 23:04 CET

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Monday called on Tehran to immediately suspend its nuclear activities after the EU slapped an embargo on Iran's oil exports as part of tough new sanctions.

Germany wants EU financial tax deal in Q1: Schaeuble — 23 January 2012, 13:42 CET

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Monday that Berlin wants a deal on a European Union-wide financial transaction tax to be reached in the first quarter of this year.

Turkey FM scraps Brussels trip due to French Senate vote — 22 January 2012, 13:10 CET

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has cancelled a Brussels visit Monday in order to follow the French Senate's vote on a bill criminalising the denial of Armenian genocide.

Berlin urges swift action on EU transaction tax — 20 January 2012, 15:47 CET

Germany on Friday pushed for quick decisions to be made on a mooted tax on financial transactions amid British fears that such a levy could drive away business from Europe.

Germany, France say EU must speed up tax coordination — 18 January 2012, 12:53 CET

Germany and France are pushing the European Union to speed up tax coordination efforts, despite British and Irish opposition, and will soon make proposals to harmonise their corporate tax rates.

French court orders Total to pay 300,000 euro fine over leak — 17 January 2012, 18:36 CET

A French court ordered energy giant Total to pay a 300,000 euro ($382,000) fine Tuesday for pollution caused by an oil leak in the Loire river at its Donges refinery in western France.

EU to reward Myanmar for reforms: French FM — 15 January 2012, 18:19 CET

The European Union will respond "in concrete terms" to recent reforms by Myanmar's regime, France's foreign minister said Sunday after a historic meeting with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Billion-euro Austrian telecoms deal eyed: report — 14 January 2012, 23:44 CET

France Telecom and its partner Mid Europa are selling their Austrian mobile unit Orange to Hong Kong-based Hutchison in a one-billion-euro ($1.3-billion) deal, a press report said Saturday.

S&P 'downgrades France one notch, spares Germany' — 13 January 2012, 18:30 CET

Standard & Poor's has decided to downgrade France's top credit rating by one notch but will spare Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, say EU government sources.

Poland's TP agrees EUR 550m settlement with Danes — 13 January 2012, 13:25 CET

Poland's Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) telecoms giant will pay 550 millions euros ($707 million) to Danish Polish Telecommunications Group (DPTG), ending a dispute over a fibre-optics work from 1991, TP said Friday.

Air France-KLM announces EUR 1bn cost-cutting plan — 12 January 2012, 22:12 CET

Air France-KLM said Thursday it would implement a three-year cost-cutting plan, including wage freezes and investment reductions, aimed at saving at least one billion euros ($1.3 billion) and reducing its debt.

Aga Khan fights 60 mn euro divorce settlement: source — 12 January 2012, 14:12 CET

Racehorse billionaire and Islamic spiritual leader the Aga Khan is contesting a divorce settlement that awarded his ex-wife a record 60 million euros ($77 million), a French judicial source said Thursday.